1. Technical Field
The subject invention relates to a method and assembly for upholstering a foam cushion member with two fabric covers, and more particularly to locating the sew seam of the other two covers in a predetermined position from the cushion member.
2. Description of Related Art
The covering of foam cushion members with fabric for use in vehicular seats is commonly performed with automated upholstering equipment. For aesthetic purposes, it is frequently desirable to cover the cushion with two or more fabrics of different colors, patterns, etc., which have been arranged in an attractive fashion. Two or more fabric pieces are generally sewn together along their edges with the sew seam slightly recessed into the cushion for comfort. During the automated upholstering process, however, the fabric covers have a tendency to shift out of proper orientation on the cushion and thus mislocate the sewn seams of the two or more fabrics upon the cushion.
The prior art U.S. Pat. No. 4,765,045 to Allen J. Selbert, issued Aug. 23, 1988, discloses the use of a plastic locator strip which is sewn between two pieces of fabric covering at a sew seam. The locator strip is adapted to be held in an automated tool for positively positioning the sew seam of the two fabrics into the proper orientation on the cushion. After the upholstering process is complete, the locator strip is torn from the fabric by disjoining at a pinched and perforated area thereby leaving a non-removable solid base of a locator strip underneath the sew seam which is permanently embedded in the cushion. The system disclosed includes a deficiency in the upholstering process in that the plastic locator strip must be heated before it is removed from the cushion and portions of the solid base portion, embedded underneath the fabric covers, extend out from the fabric covers during the removal of this locator strip.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,885,828 to Eric F. Kozlowski, granted Dec. 12, 1989 and assigned to the assignee of the present invention, discloses the use of a similar plastic locator strip for properly positioning upholstery fabric in relation to the seat cushion in the manufacture of a seat. Kozlowski '828, however, teaches the concept of providing a strip which is entirely removable from the seat. Kozlowski discloses a locator strip designed to have these attributes, which strip includes an insertion portion adapted to be inserted between the sewn together edges of the fabric cover. The insertion portion has a plurality of spaced apart, finger-like projections joined together at their distal ends by a thin transverse filament. The fingers and filament define a plurality of openings or pockets for accommodating the stitches of the seat. After the covers have been properly joined to the cushion, the Kozlowski strip is removed by pulling on an extension portion of the strip, causing the sections of filament between the fingers to pull against the stitches and break for intended removal with the remaining portion of the strip.
Although Kozlowski discloses the concept of a completely removable strip, actual use of such a strip has shown that the sections of filament between the fingers offer too great of a resistance to breakage so as to loosen or damage the stitching of the seat when removing the strip. Furthermore, the filament sections have a tendency to break in more than one location leaving the fingers causing small pieces of filament material to remain in the seam which must be removed manually in a separate operation.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,175,916 to William F. Klems, granted Jan. 5, 1993 and assigned to the assignee of the present invention, discloses the use of a similar plastic locator strip for properly positioning upholstery fabric in relation to a seat cushion in the manufacture of a seat. The plastic locator strip disclosed therein includes a discrete location of detachment. Although this discrete location of detachment, typically a notch or a through-cut, aids in the separation of the detachment means without stringing of the plastic nor destruction of the sewn seams, the detachment means is weakened such that it does not maintain the proper spacial orientation. More specifically, the fingers are bent over as the detachment means naturally acquires the shortest path between two points, especially around corners in the design. The detachment means rests on the cushion adjacent the elongated slot resulting in non-uniform scarred upholstery.
Accordingly, there is still a need in the industry for a locator strip that will not damage the stitching of the seat upon removal nor scar or disfigure the fabric disposed adjacent the locator strip.